Three somewhat obscure movies, everyone should see

[Kahuna]

I have a copy of Twelve Monkeys...Brad plays a great crazy guy...I 'm not much of a scifi guy either but Twelve Monkeys is an entertaining film...

[pacman]

Another movie I haven't seen. I read about Twelve Monkeys recently in reviews of Looper, the Sci-Fi film I saw earlier this year starring Bruce Willis. The reviewers felt that while good, Loopers wasn't anywhere near as good as 12 Monkeys.

I may have to change my mind about Brad. He seems to have more support than I credited. Could I be wrong? (And I am smirking.... )

[Lefty]

Interesting tidbit; Brad Pitt was very unhappy with the way Spy Game turned out and refused to promote it, turning down many offers to go out with Redford and sell the flick, much to the chagrin of studio execs. Not sure what his problem was, but he didn't like his role or something and refused to have anything to do with it post-production.

I also thought it was pretty good, not one of my favorites but a good spy movie and that genre is generally the one I like best.

In line with this thread, I have one with 3 big stars in it which most of you have probably not seen; "An Unfinished Life" from 2005. Robert Redford, Morgan Freeman and the adorable Jennifer Lopez, who really doesn't get enough credit for having her acting chops down......she also did good work in 1998's "Out of Sight" with George Clooney and Dennis Farina. An Unfinished Life is Redford out of character as an old, grumpy rancher and J. Lo as his daughter-in-law.....great character study and well-acted by all.

I've seen both of them several times. An Unfinished Life is in my top 2 for JLo movies along with "Enough". Out of Sight was based on an Elmore Leonard novel and it is interesting that Michael Keaton plays the same character as he does in another movie based on an Elmore Leonard novel, Jackie Brown. In both movies he plays ATF agent Ray Nicolette. Any movie based on a Leonard novel is usually very good. People who diss JLo as an actress are well, just wrong. She is very talented and to me her skill on the big screen is her greatest strength. I think some people just have trouble grasping the concept that a woman could be that damned beautiful and talented too. Anyone tells me JLo cannot act, I tend to disregard their opinions as those of an ignorant doofus.

[Lefty]

A River Runs Through It is a great movie , kinda sad too .

I read a review somewhere that Tarantino has done a remake of Django only in his typical style , sounds pretty good stuff the original movie was crazy I think it was banned for a while .

QT's movie Django Unchained comes out on Xmas day, but I do not think it is a remake of an earlier movie, Django. The script is original and written by QT himself.

[Lefty]

Anyone watched Killer Joe yet? I think it may be my kind of movie. It stars Farangbah....Oops. I mean Matthew McConaughey.

Another one I've not seen that I plan to D/L soon is The Perfect Host starring David Hyde Pierce. Dark comedy, which usually suits me.

Anyone have reviews on either?

[JaiDee]

Re-watched another obscure movie this week, from 1966.

Us old-timers may have seen it before but it may be new to younger guys or non -U.S. people;

"The Russians are coming, The Russians are coming!"

Alan Arkin, Carl Reiner, Brian Keith, a very slim Jonathan Winters and a super-cute Eva Marie Saint, still looking GREAT at age 42. A well-written comedy about a soviet sub getting grounded off the coast of Massachusetts during the cold war, worth checking out if you've never seen it.

Hard to believe, but this movie won the Golden Globe for Best picture of 1966, and Alan Arkin got best actor.....both were also nominated for the Oscar in the same catagories but didn't win ......extremely rare for a comedy.

[JaiDee]

Another one I like which could fit in this thread despite the fact it has 4 huge names in it;

"Nobody's Fool" from 1994.....seen it many times, although it didn't get much ink when it first came out.

Well-acted character study with my favorite actor of all time, Paul Newman, as kind of a lovable loser in his aging years.......Bruce Willis and Melanie Griffith and Jessica Tandy round out a fantastic cast.

Obscure because it wasn't a blockbuster movie.....still outstanding, though.

[JaiDee]

Not an obscure one, just a terrible new one you can all avoid if you don't like science fiction; "Looper".

 

 saw it last night.....wish I could get those 2 hours of my life back.

 

  As usual,  your mileage may vary! Some people like Sci-fi and some don't.....I have always been on the "don't" side and should have just stayed with that, Looper was absolutely horrible.

[Lefty]

Not an obscure one, just a terrible new one you can all avoid if you don't like science fiction; "Looper".

 

 saw it last night.....wish I could get those 2 hours of my life back.

 

  As usual,  your mileage may vary! Some people like Sci-fi and some don't.....I have always been on the "don't" side and should have just stayed with that, Looper was absolutely horrible.

I agree with you on Sci-Fi. No interest at all. It is all the fantasy of someone's mind, If I'm going to watch a fantasy, I would rather it be in the form of porn.

[JaiDee]

I just don't get it either, Lefty......but again, some people seem to like it and I am not going to judge people on the movies they like just because I don't happen to agree with them;  some people would absolutely HATE the movies I watch!

IMO Looper was just plain silly........I had heard it was similar to the original Terminator [ a Sc-Fi flick which I DID like] but it was nothing like it and even Bruce Willis couldn't save it from being just plain awful.

Check out the top-10 grossing films of 2012;

 

1    Marvel's The Avengers
2    The Dark Knight Rises
3    The Hunger Games
4    Skyfall
5    The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2
6    The Amazing Spider-Man
7    The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
8    Brave
9    Ted
10    Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted

   Out of those 10, I would MUCH prefer to see the 2 Disney cartoons than anything else! Maybe Skyfall, but I haven't really enjoyed any Bond stuff since the 70's so I won't be seeing that one either.  Ted was a kids movie, so I get that being popular also, but would never watch it.

 

 The rest.....Spiderman? Batman? Hunger Games? The Avengers? The Hobbit?  What, are you kidding me?  These are the kind of garbage movies the Ladyboys make us sit through.....I remember going to see "Hellboy" with some Laotian LB once; I was laughing, she was scared LOL. Since then, no more movies with Ladyboys; they don't like political or spy thrillers like I do, or war movies, or "Lincoln" [GREAT flick] and I don't like their pure nonsense.

 

  But they are in the top 10 for a reason, people just want to be entertained and if that's what entertains them, so be it. But I could never sit through any of those 10 or anything like them and didn't like Looper one bit.

[Hefe]

I will definitely watch Skyfall & probably give Ted a shot on tv but your point is spot on jaidee: we (over 30) aren't the market for movies & the industry is now entirely based on the"big weekend" economics. What's interesting are the amount of "serious" filmmakers (Christopher Nolan in the above list for one) that are using comic book & genre material & trying to elevate it similar to the way the old timey directors obliquely commented on politics & sexuality in a few of the old genre b&w films. 

 

But I too can't sit through 2+ hours of guys running around in capes & tights (unless it's on the Alcazar stage   )

 

BTW Lefty, since you asked, I saw "Killer Joe" recently, interesting flick, I enjoyed it, it's nothing I would go out of my way to recommend but it's worth a watch. It's all about family relationships in a weird way, played out through the violent crime flick genre. There's some black humor with the violence a la Tarantino & the ending is a hoot but abrupt, tho I suspect most folks watching didn't like the ending... more like the ending of a novel where a main character starts to evolve a bit, as opposed to a  wrap up of loose ends.

[Lefty]

Best 2012 movie for me is gonna be Django Unchained without a doubt. Seven Psychopaths next. Of that list you give, I'd watch Ted before any of the others. no doubt.

Batman is Adam West. The Joker is Cesar Romero. The Penguin is Burgess Meredith. Everything since then is garbage IMO.

[pacman]

Another movie I haven't seen. I read about Twelve Monkeys recently in reviews of Looper, the Sci-Fi film I saw earlier this year starring Bruce Willis. The reviewers felt that while good, Loopers wasn't anywhere near as good as 12 Monkeys.

 

I just checked my source....   it wasn't Looper that was being compared to Twelve Monkeys. It was another Sci-Fi flick I saw which drew the comparison. And I can't remember what the hell it was.

 

Not an obscure one, just a terrible new one you can all avoid if you don't like science fiction; "Looper".

 

 saw it last night.....wish I could get those 2 hours of my life back.

 

  As usual,  your mileage may vary! Some people like Sci-fi and some don't.....I have always been on the "don't" side and should have just stayed with that, Looper was absolutely horrible.

 

Do I owe you an apology? Sorry JD if I ruined your night.

 

I am not a science fiction nut but I do like the SF films that make you think. And when a review for a new movie is a bit ambiguous, the only way to settle it is to see it for yourself. And thus it was with Looper. I am not going to die defending it but for a bit of lighthearted nonsense, it was a perfectly acceptable way to pass an afternoon. 

 

The problem with SF is if you go to watch it in a serious frame of mind looking for profound truth, you are bound to finish up disappointed because all sci-fi is by definition, silly. That's not to say there haven't been some marvelous pieces of entertainment made in the name of science fiction but one man's masterpiece is another man's rubbish.

 

I walked out of Looper wondering what to make of it. In an earlier time, when I was less patient & more critical, I would not have been so tolerant but today I am just happy when a film doesn't lose the plot in all out attack on our senses in an effort to make it seem better than it is. As in the latest action flicks where too much violence is never enough.

[pacman]

Check out the top-10 grossing films of 2012;

 

1    Marvel's The Avengers

2    The Dark Knight Rises

3    The Hunger Games

4    Skyfall

5    The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2

6    The Amazing Spider-Man

7    The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

8    Brave

9    Ted

10    Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted

 

A fairly predictable list. Hollywood knows their market & when crap sells, it's a sure bet they will be serving up more of the same. And in fairness, it isn't all crap, I saw a few of those movies & found some of them to be rather enjoyable. And to be entertained is the most I ever hope for when I go to the movies. To experience something wonderful or thought provoking is a bonus.

 

Number one on the list, The Avengers was just too ridiculous for words. But I knew it would be before I went. But I also knew it would be as entertaining as anything I have seen. And I go to these block buster movies to keep in touch with where the industry is heading. It is way too easy to sit back & take the high moral ground & criticise these dumbed down action flicks as vacuous & stupid without ever seeing them. I have decided to see them myself so I understand both sides of the debate. And for anyone who doesn't think there is a debate, try sitting in on some of the dinner parties I go to.

 

Number two is The Dark Knight Rises. I dismissed it in an earlier post on this thread but regretted doing so on reflection. It sets out to add pathos & drama to a classic action hero flick & succeeds rather well. Christian Bale is excellent, the script is good, the plot is interesting, it is a beacon of hope for those of us wanting these action films to become a bit more intelligent. Definitely worth seeing IMO but as JD wrote, YMMV.

 

Number three is the Hunger Games. Expectations were low but enjoyment was high. I had never heard of the book, wasn't particularly interested in a sci-fi fantasy world of the future where people's prospects for being fed was determined by pre-selected teenagers running around the woods with bows & arrows & knives all trying to kill each other. Boy, did I get that wrong. I found myself completely absorbed & finished up rooting for Jennifer Lawrence who embodies the strong silent type of under-estimated potential. (She does stack on a pile of weight during the movie despite running around a jungle, I thought she may have been pregnant.) You just know she's going to prevail but somewhere in the film I got caught up in the excitement. A word of warning though, some well-regarded reviewers marked this right down, I just don't agree with them.

 

Number four - Skyfall. I made a long post about this in the James Bond thread & I won't repeat myself. It's good, very good with some flaws. And to JD & any other doubters, forget all Bond movies made before Casino Royale with Daniel Craig. Casino Royale is still the best but all movies made from then on are of another order completely. 

 

Number five, The Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn Part 2. Not interested. Despite what I wrote about watching movies if only to understand what the fuss is about, I can't sit through these teen angst melodramas with a side serve of neck biting & blood drinking. I'd rather sit home & stick pins in my eyes.

 

Number six is The Amazing Spiderman. I saw the first one, the first two I think, that's enough. The thought of that skinny twit from The Social Network dressed up in a silly costume put me off completely. I'm sure I haven't missed anything memorable. Or profound. 

 

Number seven The Hobbit has only just started screening here to less than wonderful reviews. I will go see it, it looks amazing & Peter Jackson is a genius. A Kiwi genius so I don't say that lightly.

 

Number eight is Brave. I don't think that's started screening here yet either. I may be wrong but it's a kid's film & I won't bother. If it gets rave reviews, I will catch it on the small screen. There aren't many cartoons I want to see.

 

Number nine is Ted. Easily my most disliked film of the year. I hated it. How could Mark Wahlberg agree to participate in this nonsense? I know how, on paper the idea of a talking teddy bear who is a fallen angel is a great premise ripe for some good comedy. What they produced however is excruciatingly bad. Wahlberg has to play the role of the dumbest guy on earth. And the plot line treats the audience like they are the dumbest people on earth. And the teddy (Ted) is just foul. Hard to sympathise with an alcoholic no matter how he's dressed up. And the sex scenes of Ted banging the dimwitted checkout chick are bad enough, the idea that a loser like the role Wahlberg plays can win a pretty girl & can't decide between her & his debauched no-hoper teddy, it is all too silly for words. And you'll never guess what! It all works out wonderful in the end. I really was hoping that Ted would shoot Wahlberg, fuck his girlfriend & the final scene is him being executed. Now that would have been good cinema.

 

Number ten is Madagascar. Another cartoon, again, not interested. They make them for their intended audience & that's fine, I am not one of them.

[shoeman]

We need a new James Bond that actor is crap only an action  movie actor now the other James Bonds wear better.

[Kahuna]

Check out the top-10 grossing films of 2012;

1    Marvel's The Avengers
2    The Dark Knight Rises
3    The Hunger Games
4    Skyfall
5    The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2
6    The Amazing Spider-Man
7    The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
8    Brave
9    Ted
10    Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted

  

That is amazing...The only flick on the list that I've seen is Skyfall...I liked it...The story was a bit weak compared to the other of Craig's Bond films...But all-in-all an entertaining film...I'm sure I'll buy the DVD somewhere down the line...

 

I will likely see the Hobbit...if only because I've read the book a dozen times...I am interested to see how they stretched this out to three separate films...cause it's only one small book...Hungry for the buck I suppose...

 

I ain't seen none of the others on the list and don't want to...

[pacman]

Don't worry Mr K, you've seen just about the best of them. I say 'just about' because I can't know anyone's taste.

 

Of those I have seen, I wouldn't want it on my conscience for you to see The Hunger Games & declare me insane for recommending it. That I happened to enjoy it can be partly attributed to my mood on the day, the strange attraction of the bizarre plot line, all sorts of things.

 

But I will recommend you watch The Dark Knight Rises. It just might appeal. If you haven't seen Christian Bale as Batman, I suggest you do, he overshades all other Batman actors. IMO. 

 

I'm going to stick my neck out. If The Dark Knight gets nominated for an Oscar, I give it a huge chance of winning Best Picture. There ya go, after dismissing it a few weeks ago, that has to be the biggest change of heart since Brad Pitt dumped one actress trophy wife for a bigger trophy wife. (Did you like the way I worked Brad into that...       )

[JaiDee]

Best 2012 movie for me is gonna be Django Unchained without a doubt. Seven Psychopaths next.

 

 I loved Seven Psychopaths also, saw it in the theater and can't wait for the DVD release.....Sam Rockwell gave an Oscar-worthy performance.

 

      Haven't seen Django yet but maybe this week, Tarantino is amazing.

[JaiDee]

Don't worry Mr K, you've seen just about the best of them. I say 'just about' because I can't know anyone's taste.

 

......and that's the key, Paccie.....no one can tell us "you have GOT to see this movie, it was excellent!"   It's all a subjective thing, and all about each others tastes, which of course vary from person to person.  No critic or even our close friends can say "you're crazy, I LOVED {X}, you must be crazy not to like it!"

 

       I sometimes check Rotten Tomatoes just to get an idea of what I can expect in a movie; it's not just one critic but an aggregate of about a hundred or more and if it gets a high rating, I'd be more likely to watch it.....but Looper got a 96% there and {IMO} it was horrible. Again, no one knows for sure what *I* will like or not.

 

        Of the top 10 grossing flicks of this past year, I suppose I could watch Bond in a pinch, but none of the rest. But as you say, Hollywood knows their target audience;  all the teenagers who ate up Spiderman Part 7 and The Avengers would likely hate stuff like 'Three days of the Condor', 'No Way Out', 'Spy Game', 'Bourne Identity', etc...even 'Apocalypse Now' and 'Deer Hunter'...movies I have seen multiple times and could watch again right now. 

[Kahuna]

Paccie...You are correct...One's taste in films is indeed in the eye of the beholder...And as my father was want to say to some folks..."His taste is all in his mouth."

 

I am, however,  gonna disagree a bit with JaiDee and I'm sure he will forgive me, but I don't think Tarantino is amazing...He is indeed a gifted story teller...But after Reservoir Dogs, his films have little substance...They are novel and they are entertaining and without a doubt unique and all members of my DVD collection...But to me they neither bring cheers or tears...

 

By contrast the two Martin McDonagh films I have seen...In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths...Both stir my emotions...And that to  me that is the difference between an entertaining director and a great director...Between a great story teller and a great story teller with a great story to tell...Between Tarantino and our Irish friend...McDonagh...And that's my opinion....

[azza33]

A must see for all action fans... Indonesian movie, The Raid - Redemption.

 

Best martial arts action flick i've seen in 20 years +

 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1899353/

 

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1514381593/

[Lefty]

I've had scenes in Tarantino movies that made me cheer. In Inglourious Basterds when Donny and Omar came bursting into Hitler's booth in the theater and mowed him and Goebbels down, then started shooting the panicking Nazis with the Schmeisser submachine guns as they vainly struggled to get out of the locked doors, was a scene that made me smile and say, "yeah baby!!! Take that you Nazi scum!" Even if it was all fictional and fantasy.

The final scene of Django Unchained had some similar qualities, and as Broomhilda is smiling and clapping as her man Django comes emerging victoriously, I wanted to smile and clap along with her.

The end of Death Proof was definitely the best scene in a QT movie for making me want to cheer. The crazed psychopath Stuntman Mike is sniveling and crying in his wrecked car begging for mercy, as the 3 girls he just tried to kill with his car come over and exact their revenge. Who couldn't help but cheer as Abernathy, (Rosario Dawson) administers the coup de grace with her boot?

I also felt happy and smiling on the inside at the end of Jackie Brown, as we see Jackie (Pam Grier) driving away, as we hear Across 110th Street playing.

[Lefty]

 I loved Seven Psychopaths also, saw it in the theater and can't wait for the DVD release.....Sam Rockwell gave an Oscar-worthy performance.

 

      Haven't seen Django yet but maybe this week, Tarantino is amazing.

Totally agree on that JD. I wasn't crazy about the Kill Bill movies, but everything else he's done are ones I enjoy seeing over and over. He is the best for finding the right music to incorporate into his movies too, IMO.

[JaiDee]

I was impressed with Tarantino almost from the start; he did Reservoir Dogs in 1992 and I thought it was outstanding. Pulp Fiction of course, 2 years later; even better......also liked Jackie Brown and Inglorious Basterds and while I didn't like Kill Bill as much as those his director's work in those was impressive. I also like the way he resurrected the careers of guys like Travolta and Harvey Keitel, and introduced the west to great actors like Christoph Weitz and Diane Kruger.

[Kahuna]

Please don't get me wrong JD...I like QT...I enjoy his films...I enjoy his films a great deal...I have copies and I watch them all frequently...But in my opinion, after Reservoir Dogs his films have little substance...After watching one of his films other than Reservoir Dogs I know that I have been entertained but my emotions are not flowing...Perhaps it is just me...Perhaps it's ineffable...